Ever wish you could punch somebody in the face? I mean, just beat the heck out of a bad guy, the office jerk or some idiot that cut you off in traffic?
J.P. Flaim is your champion.
A member of “The Junkies” who discuss everything from sports to sex weekday mornings on WJFK 106.7 FM, “The Latin Donkey” makes his pro boxing debut on Dec. 9 at Patriot Center on the Jimmy Lange undercard.
It’s probably a one-time thing; just Flaim measuring himself as a man. But this is a real fight against an angry opponent who threatens to kill Flaim in the ring. Flaim has trained two months for the welterweight bout where victory might be measured simply by reaching the second of four rounds. Ironically, he has never even been in a playground scrap.
“I’m a lover, not a fighter. The only thing is maybe my brother for the remote control,” Flaim said. “It’s a crazy idea I had when I went to see Jimmy Lange’s first fight. There were 5,000 people. There was an energy in the arena from the ring entrance to the fight. I had one of those light-bulb moments. I wondered if I could make it happen. … it could be a huge exercise in horrific judgment.”
That’s what Watts says. The Virginia Beach fighter is only 1-8 as a pro boxer with multiple prison sentences interrupting his nine-year career. But Watts returns to the ring for the first time since Sept. 2004 knowing this is a must-win for him.
“I’m going to kill him,” Watts said. “I’m offended this guy gets on radio to say he has a chance. The only chance is I may let him survive one round and I may do that so I can punish him so he never gets in the ring again.
“Does he think he can pick up a tennis racquet and play Andre Agassi or a basketball and play Michael Jordan? It takes years to hone the skills. If I can’t beat this guy then I need to walk away.”
Flaim knows Watts is coming hard. In fact, that’s part of the strategy.
“My gut feeling is the guy will try to take me out in the first round,” Flaim said. “If I send him a message I’m not going down, maybe I can take him out in the second.That’s my prediction — KO in the second.”
OK, this has gone on long enough. A first-time fighter against a pro? I seriously worry Flaim will get hurt. The father of one with a second coming in January is taking a big risk because people die in the ring. There’s no headgear, no safety net at all here, just an opponent who must knock out Flaim if he’s to continue as a boxer.
“I’d rather die in the ring that night than lose this fight,” Watts said. “He better be ready to die because I am.
“Don’t put your head down. Don’t get a drink. The very second the bell rings I’m going to put pressure on. My intention is to put my fist through his face.”
Flaim admits this is a publicity stunt of sorts for the radio show, but the fight is real. He’s not overlooking the seriousness of it.
“I definitely worry about it,” Flaim said. “I wake up nervous every morning.”
The Junkies and probably a few thousand extra fans may fill Patriot Center rooting for Flaim. Why not? The 36-year-old represents all frustrated males. I just hope he doesn’t get carried out of the ring.
“As crazy as it sounds, I think he can win,” said fellow Junkie Eric “E.B.” Bickel, a childhood buddy of Flaim’s. “J.P. is a winner who doesn’t fail at a lot of things. I know his heart and determination. [Watts] might be more skilled, but he doesn’t have the heart and determination J.P. does.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
